Ending the HIV Epidemic Supplement Projects – FY2021

The NIH has released a Request for Applications (RFA) for collaborative, implementation research projects that will advance the goals of the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative. Applications responding to this RFA will be submitted as requests for supplements to the Third Coast CFAR grant. The Third Coast CFAR will organize an internal competition to choose the applications that can be submitted to NIH in April. These one-page proposals are due to the Third Coast CFAR by Thursday, February 25.

Final applications are due at NIH by April 19, 2021, with internal budget and subcontract deadlines as early as March 22.

Purpose and Eligibility

Projects (<1 yr in duration) will support implementation research that addresses at least one of EHE’s key pillars: Diagnose, Treat, Prevent, and Respond. Applicant teams must be led by a PI-eligible investigator at Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, or Lurie Children’s Hospital, in partnership with a community-based organization or public health department funded by CDC, HRSA, SAMHSA, or IHS to provide HIV services in one of the 57 jurisdictions identified in EHE. Investigators are also encouraged to collaborate with researchers from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in planning projects and in the formation of future implementation science in communities served by HBCUs.

Research Topics

1. EHE Team-initiated Implementation Research
2. Planning projects to address social and structural determinants of HIV using an intersectional framework in partnership with community to enhance efforts toward EHE

For Topic 1, priority will be given to meritorious applications for (a) new partnerships that were not funded in previous CFAR/ARC EHE opportunities, particularly in geographic areas, settings, or populations not yet reached by current NIH EHE efforts, and (b) collaborations with HBCUs, particularly regarding racial inequities that continue in HIV prevention and treatment outcomes.

Funds Available and Project Period

The maximum award per project is $200,000 for direct costs. Projects are for 10 months (7/1/2021 – 4/30/2022).

Internal Proposals

If you are interested in applying for an administrative supplement, please contact Justin Schmandt as soon as possible to discuss your idea and tentative team. One-page proposals will be submitted via email by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, February 25. References do not count toward the page limit. Plans are not binding, but the one-page proposal must include the following information:

  • Academic project leader (name, title, and institution)
  • Primary implementation partner (name, title, and institution)
  • Research topic, EHE pillar/s to be addressed, and the related service or program (funded by CDC, HRSA, SAMHSA, IHS, CDPH, or IDPH)
  • Team members (names, titles, and institutions). Team members do not have to be exclusive to one proposal and can be named on more than one proposal.
  • Working project title
  • Brief synopsis of the project
  • Anticipated outcome/s of the project

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View the full RFA

Definition of Implementation Research

For the purposes of this funding opportunity, implementation research is defined as the scientific study of the use of strategies to adopt and integrate evidence-based health interventions into clinical and community settings to improve individual outcomes and benefit population health. Implementation research seeks to understand and change the behavior of practitioners and support staff, organizations, consumers and family members, and policymakers in order to improve the adoption, implementation, and sustainability of evidence-based health interventions and guidelines. In addition to changing behaviors, implementation research can also understand and evaluate how to modify internal/external policies or procedures, norms, or other social/structural factors that are impeding on implementing and sustaining intervention delivery.

Studies of implementation strategies should build knowledge both on the overall effectiveness of the implementation strategies (implementation outcomes), as well as “how and why” they work (implementation mechanisms). Data on facilitators and barriers (implementation determinants) to program success, mechanisms of action, moderators and mediators of implementation strategies, and implementation outcomes will greatly aid decision-making on which strategies work for which interventions, in which settings, and for what populations.

Training and Other Resources

Introductory workshops and presentations on implementation research concepts and real-world examples of implementation research projects are available via the Inter-CFAR Implementation Science Working Group. Materials developed to support currently-funded EHE  supplement projects with training on implementation research logic models, outcomes, and determinants are also publicly available thanks to the Implementation Science Coordination, Consultation, and Collaboration Initiative (ISC3I). The Third Coast CFAR’s Behavioral, Social, and Implementation Sciences (BSIS) Core and the Ending the HIV Epidemic Scientific Working Group (EHE SWG) can provide consultation as teams develop their applications. Contact a research navigator to request consultation.

Developmental Core

Jenny Trinitapoli, PhD The University of Chicago
Developmental Core Director

Richard D’Aquila, MD, Northwestern University
CFAR Director

To request information about Developmental Core awards and services, contact Justin Schmandt.